Turkish security sources say the operation seeks to restore the internal borders per 2019 de-escalation zone deal but Ankara tried to avoid it

A shocking twist emerges in Syria’s volatile conflict as a NATO nation allegedly takes sides. Reports of Turkey’s involvement with Syrian rebel factions have sparked intense speculation about its motives and the impact on regional dynamics.

Rebel forces have launched a major offensive in north-western Syria, capturing territory from President Bashar al-Assad’s forces for the first time in years. The Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions said they had seized control of a number of towns and villages in Aleppo and Idlib provinces since Wednesday.